Boat trailer



y 15, 5 J. R. GRAVES v 2,603,501

BOAT TRAILER Filed May 9, 1950 I I 3 SHEETS-SHEET 1 y 15, 1952 J. R.GRAVES 2,603,501

BOAT TRAILER Fi led May 9, 1950 2 sxms'rs-smz'r 2 Patented July 15, 1952PA ENT;OFFICE-J 1139M A EBf i I: rims-rials. Graves .Dem'ott, Ark.

1 A pplication'May39,'1950,Serial No. 160,982

This invention relates-to a boat trailer'and has for its primaryobject-'to facilitate the transportation and launching dfa boat'i 1Another object is to avoid the n 'connecting the trailer from the boatduringthe period that the b'oat remains in a body of water so that theboat may beeasily launched into the body of water or removed therefromand-transported over land? I :A further object is to enable the boat tobe easily transported over land between bodies of water, and usedin' abodyo'f' water without ree'cessity of disquiring thatthe trailerbedisconnectedfrom the boatv Among its.featuresathe invention: embodies asubstantially rectangular frame comprising spaced paralleledside bars toopposite ends of which are fixed spaced parallel end barsfmeans carriedat opposite sides of the frame byitlre side bars for supportingtrailensupporting wheels, means carried byoneof the iendbars: andprojecting outwardly therefrom ,foriconnectiona to :a traction vehicle,and .bracerbars' extending diaganally between. the side barsJand the:crossbar,

and other .brace bars extending diagon'allybe-' tween the side bars andthexend-ibar to which the tongue, is attached. g 1;:- r

" 1Stil1:,0ther: features include arched extensions on;.opposite ends.ofthe cross bandep'ending wheel carrying fOI'kS' onthe arched:extensions;, converging brace bars fixed to the side bars on oppositesidesof thehcross. bar and connected at their convergent Tends to theouter legs. of the forks and supporting wheelsmounted in the forksadjacent the lower'ends thereof;-

. In the drawings: 1

Figure 1 is a side view ingthe featuresofthis invention 'showing'ittilted above aboat for. connection of the boat carrying straps totheside ;bars of the traileradjacent the rear end thereof,

Figure-2 is a view similar to Figure 1 showing the trailertilted-forwardly' with the stern of the boat elevated ready forattaching the. carrying straps at the forward end of thetrailer to theboat,

. Figure 3 isa. side. viewiof the boatltrailer with the boat suspendedtherein forv transportation over land,

Figure 4 is .a fron view elevation of the boat trailer and boat as shownin Figure 3, V V

Figure 5 is atop plan view, of the boat trailer with the boat removed, vs

Figure 6 is a side view of the boat afloat with the'trailer in placethereon, and

ofa embody- Figure '7 is a detail view of one of the boat suspendingstraps. 1

Referring to the drawings in detail a frame designated generally It!comprises spaced parallel side bars 12 and I4 held inspa'cedparallelrela- 'tion by end bars I6 and I8. Formed at the forwardends' ofthe sidebars l2 and I4 areconverging extensions 20 and 22 respectivelywhich extend downwardly and outwardly from the forward end of the frame[0. A tongue is fixed at one end to the end bar 18 midway betweenopposite ends thereof, and this tongue extends downwardly and forwardlybeyond the forward therewith.

' Fixed at'opposite ends to 'the sidebars l2 and 14 intermediate theends thereof is a cross bar- 21 carrying at opposite ends archedextensions 28 and 30 which extend downwardly and outwardly from oppositesides of the frame ID as will be readily understood upon reference toFigure 4. Extending downwardly from the lower end of the archedextension 28 is a leg 32 of a fork designated generally 34, and asimilar leg 36 extends downwardly from the outer end of the archedextension '39 and forms a fork 38 on the opposite side of the frame. 1yfrom the junction of the arched extension 28 with theleg 32 is a bracemember 4| and a-simi- 11161 brace "memberl- 42 extends inwardly; fromthe .junctio'n' ;of the archedflmernber 30; with the le 32""of j theffOIk 38: Extending downwardly in spacedparallelrelation to the leg 32from the brace member 4! is=a parallel leg 44-whichtogether with thebrace 41 and leg 32sform the fork 34in Which-a wheeled is mounted torotate. Av similanleg- 48cextends downwardly from the bracefrnember-lwand .togetheiywith. the brace member} 42,and leg. 3.6 fcrm the forkedA wheel- 59 is mounted for. rotationfbetween the legsf36land 48. of thefork 38 a'nd1 it will thus be seen that the frarnef it! will besupported'on the wheels 46 and 5f). 'gExtending upwardly from the bracemember '4] inalignrnent with the leg 44 and joining the archedextension'ZS intermediate the ends thereof is an upright '52 and asimilar uprighti l extends upwardly fr'om'tlie brace Extending inwardmember 42 in alignment with leg 48, and joins the arched extension 30intermediate its ends. It will thus be seen that the downward thrust ofthe load on the legs 32 and 44 of the fork 34, and the legs 36 and 48 ofthe fork 38'will be distributed equally on both sides of the wheels 46and 50. In order to hold the fork member 34 perpendicular to the frameIt arched converging braced members 56 and 58 are fixed to the side barl2 in spaced relation toand on opposite sides of the cross bar 21, andlower converging ends join the outer leg 32 of the fork member 34 nearthe axis of the wheel 46.

acoasoi Similar arched I brace members 66 and 62 are connected in spacedrelation to the side bar l4 on opposite sides of the cross bar 21, andlike the arched braced bars 56 and 58 join at their convergent ends.withgthe outer leg 36 of the fork 38 near the point 'at which the wheel56 is mounted. It will thus be seen. that the forks 34 and 3-8 will beheld in perpendicular relation to the frame 10. v

In order to reinforce the framel provide brace bars. 64 and 6.6 whichextend diagonally between thelside bars 12' and Hand the cross bar 21,on

thersi'deuof the cross bar, adjacent the-end bar t8; .Sim'ilar diagonalbrace bars 68 andv 16 extend between the side 'bar- I2 and the end bart8, an'd'theside bar and the end bar, 18. In this m'anner'the frame isheld at all times in truly as to enable the suspension straps of thestern of the boat to be passed through the loops 12 and 16. Upon tiltingthe forward end of the frame [I] downwardly, the stern of the. boat willbe elevated as suggested in Figure 2 so as to move the suspension straps14 at the forward end of the frame I!) into close proximity to the loops16 carried by the boat adjacent thebow thereof. With the suspensionstraps 14 at the forward end of the frame I0 looped through the loops [6adjacent the bow of the boat and properly fastened,

- it is evident that the boat will be suspended from the frame HIbetween the Wheels 46 and 50 as illustrated in Figure 4, and uponcoupling the trailer coupling 26 to a conventional traction vehicle, itis evident that the boat may be transported over land for any desireddistance.

Upon reaching the destination, the trailer may be disconnected from thetraction vehicle and together with the bo'atgmay be launched into abodyof water and when the boat is afloat, the

trailer'will be supported thereby as suggested in Figure 6. Should it bedesirable to transport the boat over land for a short distance, asbetween closely spaced lakes it is only necessary'to move the boat to apositionnear the shore whereupon it may be drawn out of the body ofwater on the wheels of the trailer and moved over land to the desiredlocation where it can be again launched as previously explained. Owingto the fact that the boat is firmly secured to the trailer by, thestraps I4, it will be evident that it can be used to transport the boatover land, or when so desired the trailer may be supported by the boat.-

4 when the latter is afloat and hence is always ready for use.

While in the foregoing there has been shown and described the preferredform of this invention, it is to be understood that minor changes in thedetails of construction, combination and arrangement of parts may beresorted to without departing from the spirit and scope of the inventionas claimed.

7 {I'claimz v w I J 1. In a boat trailer asubstantially rectangularframe having side bars, end bars fixed to said side bars adjacentopposite ends thereof and holding said side bars in spaced parallelrelation, converging extensions on the side bars adjacent to one end ofthe frame, said converging extensions projecting downwardly andforwardly from said frame, a tongue fixed to the end bar adja cent tothe end of the trailer from which the converging extensions, project,said tongue extending downwardly and forwardly from said end of theframe and having the-forwardly extending part fixed to the convergingextensions at their junction, a trailer coupling carried by theforwardlyextending part of the tongue, 2. cross barfixed to the side-barsintermediate the ends thereof, said crossbar extending between the sidebars, an-archedextension on the cross bar at each end thereof, saidarched extensions curving outwardly and downwardly from the frame, and aframe supporting wheel carried by each arched extension below the frame.

2. In a boat trailer a substantially rectangular frame having side bars,end bars fixed to said side bars adjacent to'opposite ends thereof andholding said sidebars in spacedzparallel relation,

converging extensions on the side bars. adjacent to one end of theframe, said converging extensions projecting downwardly and outwardlyfrom said frame, a tongue fixed to the end bar adjacent to the end ofthe trailer from which the converging extensions project, said tongueextending outwardly and downwardly from said end of the frame and beingfixed to the converging extensions at their junctions, a trailercoupling carried .by the tongue, across bar fixed to the side barsintermediate the ends thereof, said cross bar extending between the sidebars, an arched extension on the cross bar at each end thereof, saidarched extensions curving outwardly and downwardly from the frame, aframe supporting wheel carried by each arched extensionbelow the frame,and converging wheel braces fixed to the sid bars onoppositesides of thecross bar, said wheel braces extending downwardly and outwardly fromsaid side bars and joining the arched extensions adjacent the wheels.

3. In a boat trailer a substantially rectangular frame having side bars,end bars fixed to said side bars adjacent to oppositefiends thereof andholding said side bars in spaced parallel relathereof. said archedextensions curving outwardly and downwardly from the frame. a framesupporting wheel carried by each arched extension below the frame, bracebars fixed to the side bars and to the end bar carrying the tongue, saidbrace bars extending diagonally between said side bars and said end bar,brace bars fixed to the side bars in advance of the cross bar andextending diagonally inwardly, said last mentioned brace bars beingfixed to said cross bar, and converging wheel braces fixed to the sidebars on opposite sides of the cross bar, said wheel braces extendingoutwardly and downwardly from said 'lfheliollowing references are ofrecord in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 10 Number Name Date Re. 22,914 Balllnger Sept. 16,1947 2,448,443 Krake Aug. 31,1948 2,462,964 Heggen Mar. 1, 1949

